Lost in the Cairngorms

It's taken me exactly 2 weeks to document what happened on Saturday 25th June on one of my “warmup” events. I'm going to attempt to keep it concise, I'll fail as it turned into an epic 11 hour hike. It wasn't planned that way. I've decided to write it up as a warning to others. Let's just say I went hiking by myself in the mist in the Cairngorms, at altitude and without (1) GPS device (2) compass. I had the OS map, but that that ain’t much use without one of the other 2 when you get lost...

I was in for breakfast at 8am at the fine Spittal of Glenshee Hotel. I was the only customer that early, so I was given the "Full Monty" which I destroyed with enthusiasm. Looked out the window up towards Glenshee and it was foul. Got into the vehicle quickly afterwards, headed up the A93 and parked the vehicle just inside the Aberdeenshire border at one of the ski centre car parks. Could barely see bugger all. Changed into my hiking outfit, many a layer. Given the lack of visibility I pretty much decided to make this a trip to Glas Maol then back down again mainly via paths in the ski centre. Visibility didn't improve much. It was approx 0900 hours.

After 90 mins I was closing in on the summit, the path disappeared in the last 100-200m because of it's flat top. Alpine rocks etc. Made it to the summit with it's shelter etc. Went round the back of the shelter to the trig point for photos and was aware of the fact I had to concentrate on walking back across the rocks in the same direction through the mist to pick up the path back down. At this point I fully expected to be back at the hotel by 1pm watching the F1 Quali and playing with the netbook.

Despite my best efforts I must have vectored off straight away, or soon afterwards. I picked up a major path and headed mostly downhill in a gentle sort of way for a bit which I thought might take me somewhere desireable, for approx an hour. Saw some birds etc. They were gently hopping along the ground and not even running away from me! It's one big nature reserve up there. Eventually came to some dropoffs etc. which were non-neogotiable. Just as well really as even with a map, I wasn't entirely sure where I was in relation to anything and ominously couldn't hear a trace of traffic noise from the potential A93 I thought might be below me in the mist. Retraced my steps a bit, got back to the major track again, went along that for a bit and then cut some corners along some abrupt dropoffs to god knows where, eventually joined another path went down a bit and had a look around down various paths and offshots at yet more steep dropoffs into the mist. It must been about 1430 hours at this point.

Went back to a junction with a shelter after probing around a bit. At this point I'm thinking, this where I sleep if I'm up here overnight, make sure I can always find this. I'd already thought to myself at what point do I consider using the mobile phone (fully charged) which had Emergency signal and sometimes full service all the time I was up there. However I wasn't sure if they would get my co-ords from the phone call and I'd be embarassed to say that I don't know exactly where I am but it's somewhere near Glas Maol's summit. Which looking back I could have found easily again by going gently uphill again into the mist. I was also already thinking about the vast sum of money I'd have to either give to charity after the rescue and/or behind the bar for the mountain rescue people. They would have deserved it. I never panicked when I was up there, although I may have shown some poor judgement once or twice, but your mind takes some crazy turns when you consider what you may have to eventually do.

I took the 3rd previously unexplored track from my nominated overnight shelter. I started dropping quickly. Soon afterwards there were relatively fresh tire marks, I must be dropping into one of these active estates. I dropped down below the cloud a bit, or maybe the weather was improving. I saw a valley with a river, a track and a distinctively shaped forest. I'm going down to this regardless, but I pulled out the map to figure out where I was heading for. Glen Isla and the Tulchan Lodge. On the way down the steep hillside when I was well away from the track I surprised a massive herd of deer that were extremely close just out of sight from me. When they saw me then legged it away very impressively. I just wish I'd taken it all in more fully when they bounded away. Very few people see stuff like that up close. From fatigue and the steepness of the hill I was slow to react and get out the camera, my mum's gonna kill me for missing this I eventually thought. I got out the camera out and attempted some shots and closeups when they were far away. Maybe this whole "extended" day was planned just me to get pictures of deer for my mum, if so I ultimately failed to get any decent photos...

I was down in Glen Isla at approx 4pm. My feet were shot, but I had to go on. I should have put on a second pair of socks this day. I was giving serious consideration to a taxi or knocking on anyone’s door but I was a long way from the nearest major town and I certainly don’t have any numbers for the local companies anyway. Disaster then struck.

Close examination of the OS map and the distance I was from the Spittal of Glenshee Hotel revealed an additional problem. There's no pub or hotel on the way back for additional "refreshment" to complement my about to expire energy drinks and Coke. My Evian water supply however was relatively plentiful.

The hard surface of the track, then tarmac down Glen Isla didn't do my now tender feet any favours. I made good time down the valley, talked to a few people who were on some speed walking/hiking event between the valleys etc. After I told one guy how lost I was up top and how far I was away from the hotel he offered me energy bars, but I politely refused. Nice guy, looking back maybe I should have grabbed that offer!

I cut the corner from the road just outside the Angus border and joined the Cateran Trail which was 5 miles from the Spittal of Glenshee. I could see the distinctive hill behind the Spittal for the next hour or two. I didn't quite crawl, but it was getting painful with swollen feet and general lack of energy to walk across fields, change camber on the occasional rock, go up/down stiles etc. I was spent, but determined to see it through to the end. I had no choice. Chopped off the Cateran Trail in the final stretch as there was a bridge to take me across the Shee to the main road and skip some time wasting nonsense that would mean I overshot the hotel. I resumed painful, but constant walking on the tarmac of the A93. It was approaching 2000 Hours. I was into the home stretch, but still to proud to thumb a lift. I looked at one passing vehicle and it was an Aberdeen Mountain Rescue minibus towing a trailer full of equipment. This upset me for 2 reasons. Number one they would have probably given me a lift. Number two, are they going up there to look for an idiot like me?

I then looked at the next vehicle coming up behind me. Local bus with "Spittal of Glenshee" on it’s electronic sign. Although I was within a mile or two of the hotel and couldn't possibly get lost from here, I threw out my right thumb, my feet had spoken for me. They’d had enough. I had no idea of the protocol, but he stopped. His bus was empty. He then took me "home". At the hotel he had to calculate my fare, it was 95p. I gave him two 50p pieces (made no attempt to count other change from my wallet due to general exhaustion) and said he could keep the change!

Went into the hotel, at reception told them I'd been hillwalking, got lost etc. but I was now found and that my room key was up top in a car which I had no intention of recovering that night, so I'd need some access to the room eventually. Later they found a housekeeper's key I could use.

Ordered a Stella, took two sips then phoned up the Emergency Services on 999, told them this wasn't an emergency but that I'd left a vehicle just inside the Aberdeenshire border on the A93 at Glenshee which would be up there overnight and I wished to ensure that there was no concern someone like me was missing in the hills up there! They took my details and told me it would be passed to Grampian Police who'd call me back if necessary. They still haven't called...

Drank the 1st pint of Stella. Limped to the bar and ordered a 2nd with chips. The chip portion was minute compared to the previous evening's extra large portion which I got as a bonus as a result of a fallout/dispute between the bartender and chef. Easily and quickly ate them anyway avec mayo, first food since breakfast, drank 1/3 pint of the beer, took the rest to my room, could barely walk. Went to bed. Briefly inspected the blisters. Must have fallen asleep real quick. Tomorrow was going to a limited hiking day with an absolute objective. Recovery of a vehicle from the Perth and Kinross/Aberdeenshire border.

Next Day (Sunday). This entry shall be real short. Honest. Got up, first into the breakfast buffet at 8am, weather outside miserable, probably worse than the day before. Had my coffee, orange juice and full plate before some clueless Germans (maybe, I ain’t great with accents) turned up and paced around in my proximity and generally irritated me for no obvious reason. Didn’t care, ignored them totally. Finished my plate, back to room. Put on the remainder of my hiking gear. Note that this wasn’t difficult as my “casual” clothing for the weekend got left up top in the vehicle. Downed the remainder of the 2nd pint of Stella from the night before. Flat and horrible, but I needed sustenance for my injured feet and their work to come.

Handed my spare “housekeeping” key back to the hotel, given my self acknowledged history they probably expected me to get lost on the A93 after this and never see me again.

I limped out of the hotel into the rain. I had to get out the anorak before I hit the A93 Northbound. Walked along the wet grass for a bit, but a few times in the first few miles you’re onto the tarmac when it gets too narrow. However you then have to anticipate the drivers coming down this road too fast, particularly when it’s wet. I always walk into the oncoming traffic, that’s how you do it for safety, however it's more difficult when you can't move as fast because of sore feet.

I made a point of giving a thumbs-up to acknowledge the extra-courteous drivers. Later on during the last 2 miles or so where the road was more modern I was safely outside the crash barrier on the grass. It took approx 2.5 hours but eventually I walked to the top of the A93’s Cairnwell Pass in the rain. I never figured out exactly how where the old military road offshoot to the left went off near the top. I got some fantastic atmospheric photos in the mist as I climbed on foot. I saw an eroding old section with a hairpin below to the right in the final 12% gradient section and wondered “Why have they left that accesible?”. They’d left an unmarked entrance at either end of it to the “new” road. I found out later that this was the first of the hairpins at the Devil’s Elbow from the “old” road. The 2nd hairpin was almost certainly buried under my feet. There’s a famous old 1960’s postcard I’ve now seen on the Internet of Prince Philip driving the Queen herself up the “old” road through the Old Devil's Elbow with spectators. There’s also old concrete WW2 gun emplacements all over the place, like much of the UK, although there seems to be more of them left up there to erode than other places.

This shows you what I know, I thought the Devil’s Elbow was a name specific to the entire pass, but it’s only specific to bits of the old road. I’ll talk to my dad about it later...

Anyway, I limped up the final section of new Cairnwell Pass road to the right of the crash barrier. Saw the Aberdeenshire border sign abruptly after things levelled off and relieved some of the pain on my tender feet. Couldn’t see much in the ski car park through the mist, I kept walking. Paranoid thoughts entered my head. Has someone stolen the vehicle? I had a good pair of jeans, T-shirt and some CDs in that vehicle. Whilst of course I was concerned about the potential welfare of this particular vehicle and her contents, I was more concerned about the prospect of having to either (1) walk back to the hotel (downhill) or (2) embarass myself by thumbing a lift then (3) how do I get back to civilization on Monday?

Of course the vehicle was there. It just took a while for her to appear through the thick mist. She was right beside the steep path where her idiot driver had left her the day before. She started first time, drove back downhill (mostly coasting) on the same wet roads I’d just walked up. I measured the distance as just over 6 miles. Limped into the hotel again with my proper room key, assured the worried staff I’d successfully recovered the vehicle. Ordered a beer, went to my room, watched and then ignored the F1 Valencia race whilst working on my Greatest Hits Photos and other stuff on the netbook. I was still scared to document what happened the day before, it was too close to the event and might come out all wrong. My hiking weekend was over. It was one hell of an experience!

Monday morning – Left hotel early. Skipped breakfast and headed for work. When I walked towards the vehicle in the Spittal of Glenshee Hotel car park, it was almost clear skies to the north through Glenshee. I could clearly see the radio mast on the Cairnwell for the first time in 3 days. However I'm not bitter about my timing that weekend, that's Scotland, I wasn't entirely prepared and one day I shall return.

I could just about walk again on that Monday back at work, the massive blisters were healing in various ways. I took the next weekend off walking in sympathy to allow my feet some additional recovery. The Saturday won’t be forgotten for a while. Quite an experience, I got to bits of the Cairngorms I'd never have visited otherwise! It appears that I may have to add “Navigational Skills” to my portfolio if I ever try another Glas Maol like that. More to follow...

Stu B